Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center is offering required training sessions for those who will be evaluating principals using the OPES 2.0 Model.

There will be a 1-day bridge training for those already trained/credentialed in the existing OPES on September 28th from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mid-Ohio ESC. On September 29th and 30th, there will be a 2-day training for evaluators who have never been trained/credentialed in the current OPES, and are preparing to evaluate in a district transitioning to OPES 2.0 in 2021-2022. Both days are from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mid-Ohio ESC with lunch on your own. Mark Burke and Kelly Dever-Britton will be presenting for both the bridge training and 2-day training.

To register for this event, go to https://safe.ode.state.oh.us/portal. The cost is $100 for the bridge and $175 for 2-day new training. Anyone with questions can call Mark E. Burke, Jr. at 419-774-5520 or email burke.mark@moesc.net.

The Richland County Foundation recently awarded a grant from the Gorman Fund to Chris Jones at F.I.R.S.T. School for $1,500 for a songwriters workshop for students. 

On February 4th, recording artist Anne E. DeChant from the ‘90s band Odd Girl Out will give a course to F.I.R.S.T. English/Language Arts teachers on how to write songs. From there teachers will instruct students, who will then compose their own lyrics. These will be sent to and looked over by DeChant and another musical colleague, who will then put music to the lyrics and record them for the students.

Jones, a teacher and transition coordinator at F.I.R.S.T., said the students will get a physical copy of their own song. “I’m really excited about this project because every one of the kids will get to hear their lyrics in a professionally produced recording. We are planning a listening party for April 12th, 2022. At this point all of the details aren’t worked out, whether it will be in-person or via Zoom, but we know it’s going to make a big impact on the students.”

Jones said while the ELA lessons are important for this project, there are other benefits that are just as important. “Students at F.I.R.S.T. are there because of rough situations in their lives. Having a great artist like Anne E. DeChant agree to do this project with us will, I hope, really boost their confidence. Maybe it will even inspire some of them to pursue a creative career.”

Vanessa Wagner, principal at F.I.R.S.T. School, said encouraging students to look to their futures is another great benefit of this program. “Chris does a great job helping students look at different career paths for when they leave F.I.R.S.T., but this songwriters workshop is just a really unique opportunity that we are so glad to have, and we couldn’t have done it without the Richland Community Foundation’s help.”

Private Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) Programs include the Abraxas School and FIRST School, which are funded through the Ohio Department of Education Private Residential Treatment Facility Pilot Program to operate the academic program at two of the three PRTF sites: Abraxas, located east of Shelby and FIRST, located west of Lucas. These programs are also supported through Title 1-D (Delinquent) funds administered by Mid-Ohio ESC. Mid-Ohio ESC partners with the residential treatment program administration and staff to deliver an educational program that meets the requirements of the Ohio Department of Education for students in correctional facilities.

The Richland County Foundation is one of the largest private sources of grant making in Richland County and administers over 375 charitable funds established by businesses, families and individuals. The mission of the Richland County Foundation is to improve and enhance the quality of life in Richland County through strategic philanthropy and community leadership.

New Session - Scheduled for October

Register with OH|ID

Resident Educator Mentor Academy Training is a hybrid event. New mentors to the Resident Educator Program are required to successfully
complete the 12-hour Mentor Academy Training to receive state mentor certification. The Academy focuses on the role of the mentor and
the critical components of instructional mentoring. Mentors are introduced to the essential content of mentoring to prepare them to support
the instructional growth and development of Resident Educators 

Download the PDF

The Richland County Foundation recently awarded educational program grants for the upcoming school year to local teachers across Richland County for their creative or supplemental programs not covered by school funding. The Teacher Assistance Program (TAP) Grants are awarded to individual classroom teachers or small teams of classroom teachers. The maximum grant amount is $1,500. 

This year, three Abraxas teachers received TAP Grants:

$1,483.42 Intervention Supplies  - Kimberly Hall
$1,440 ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate Assessment Funds  - Cassandra Lowery 
$1,500 Academic & Career Readiness Resources - Dorothy Sharrock 

Additionally, Julie Pfeifer received a Gorman Fund gift from the Foundation in the amount of $1,485.11 for Save a Life with CPR.

Kimberly Hall, an Intervention Specialist, said the grant is a blessing for her classroom. “This is my first year being a full-time teacher.  The grant has given me the opportunity to provide my students with tools that will make them successful in class.  This is very exciting for a new teacher to be able to provide these tools at the beginning of a school year.”

Cassandra Lowery is an ELA (English/Language Arts) teacher and teaches Career Connections and Multi-Media. She said many of her students are not planning on attending college. “I'm really excited to be able to provide this ACT WorkKeys opportunity for our students. I'm extremely grateful for the Richland County Foundation and their continued support in providing real-world opportunities for our unique student population!”

Dorothy Sharrock, a GED teacher and an Intervention Specialist said her grant will also help students be ready for the workplace. “I’m very thankful to the Richland Foundation grant for providing our students with the opportunity to earn WorkKeys Certifications. The National Career Readiness Certification proves to employers that our students are prepared in applied math, workplace documents, and graphic literacy. Any certification our students can earn will help them secure employment upon completion of our program.”  

Julie Pfeifer, Math and Life Skills teacher and also an Intervention Specialist, and the recipient of the Gorman Fund gift, said, “I am extremely grateful to The Richland County Foundation for seeing the importance of students learning CPR and am excited to see the difference that having real manikins will make for my students understanding!”

Shelly Patrick, the Abraxas School of Ohio principal, said, “Abraxas School of Ohio is blessed to have amazing teachers who always choose to go above and beyond for our students. A prime example would be writing grants to provide unique opportunities for our student population. I’m also very grateful for the Richland County Foundation and their continued support to our school through the grant funding.”    

Private Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) Programs include the Abraxas School and FIRST School, which are funded through the Ohio Department of Education Private Residential Treatment Facility Pilot Program to operate the academic program at two of the three PRTF sites: Abraxas, located east of Shelby and FIRST, located west of Lucas. These programs are also supported through Title 1-D (Delinquent) funds administered by Mid-Ohio ESC. Mid-Ohio ESC partners with the residential treatment program administration and staff to deliver an educational program that meets the requirements of the Ohio Department of Education for students in correctional facilities.

The Richland County Foundation is one of the largest private sources of grant making in Richland County and administers over 375 charitable funds established by businesses, families and individuals. The mission of the Richland County Foundation is to improve and enhance the quality of life in Richland County through strategic philanthropy and community leadership.

Behavior problems at school interfere with lessons and disturb other students. These problems often overwhelm teachers, particularly new teachers, and some consider them the most difficult aspect of a teacher’s work day. Children who exhibit behavior problems invariably require extra attention, which places strain on teachers and slows the pace at which lessons are offered and completed.

Dealing with behavioral issues requires a large base of knowledge, from understanding the classroom climate to understanding mental health issues and how trauma affects students. In order to help teachers and administrators, Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center employs a behavioral team to offer support and coaching. The team has now added two new professional development opportunities and subsequent coaching support to build professional capacity to most effectively assess, address and improve student outcomes.

Structured Systems 4 Student Success is a two-day training to support educators in their creation of a highly successful learning environment for students with disabilities. Educators will learn strategies to increase learning, communication, socialization and overall educational success for the student.  The leading principles of the training incorporate the systemic, evidence-based instructional framework that uses visual supports to provide student meaning, promote independence, while capitalizing on the strengths of the child. Ang Fetter, Educational Consultant, will be offering this training September 27-30, 2021 and January 18-21, 2022. 
 
Educational Consultant Ann Pfister will be presenting the Trauma-Informed Resilience-Focused Professional Development Series. Being a trauma-informed resilience-focused school provides the depth of knowledge and skill set to address social/emotional learning for students. Resilience can be taught, then nurtured and developed. Educators will learn critical skills and gain numerous resources for building resilience in students, understand trauma at its core, and the impact it can have on a person's education and life. Educators will also learn new classroom management and engagement strategies to support a trauma-informed resilient classroom. Pfister explained, “Educators do not intentionally traumatize students, but some common classroom practices may be a trigger that exacerbate behaviors related to past or current trauma.” 
 
There are three sets of sessions in the series:
Trauma Informed Resilient Schools • Session 1: Wednesday, September 15, 2021 • Session 2: Friday, October 15, 2021 
Resetting for Resilience • Session 1: Monday, November 8, 2021 • Session 2: Tuesday, December 7, 2021 
Healing Trauma and Restoring Resilience • Session 1: Thursday, January 27, 2022 • Session 2: Tuesday, March 1, 2022 
 
In addition to the new offerings, Cathy Csanyi, in collaboration with the Behavior Support Team, continues to support the needs of MOESC districts relative to Ohio Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and each district’s requirement to implement a PBIS framework system-wide.
 
Ohio law states each school district must provide professional development or continuing education in Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) to:
1. Any of the district's teachers who teach in buildings that serve students in any of grades prekindergarten through three and who completed a teacher preparation program prior to 2018; and
2. All of the district's administrators who serve students in any of grades pre-kindergarten through three, including the school district superintendent, building principals, and assistant principals, who have not already completed a course of instruction, professional development, or continuing education in positive behavior intervention and supports.
 
Ohio rule extends these professional development requirements stating districts will provide professional development on PBIS to student personnel at least every three years. Professional development can be provided by a building or district PBIS Leadership Team or an appropriate state, regional, or national source in collaboration with the building or district positive behavior intervention and supports leadership team. 
 
Anyone interested in accessing any of the support from the Behavioral Support Team from Mid-Ohio ESC or with questions about fees and registration for the professional development can contact Director of Student Services Jennifer Crum at 419-774-5520. Registration can be completed online at http://www.moesc.net/register.

Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center, in conjunction with Galion City Schools, has been awarded a renewal of both 21st Century Community Learning Center grants for Galion’s elementary schools (the Primary and Intermediate buildings, collectively) and Galion Middle School in the amount of $200,000 per year, for a total of $400,000. This is the second year of 5 possible years for the grant to be awarded. The grants will provide before and after-school programs for Galion City School students in grades K through 8, including students from Galion’s St. Joseph’s Catholic School. 

The Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grant program provides opportunities for children who come from economically disadvantaged families to receive academic and positive youth development supports. These programs must focus on helping students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math, and offering students a broad array of enrichment activities that complement their regular academic programs. 

For the Elementary, the program will offer literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.(i.e. math, positive youth development, and parental engagement). Galion Public Library will be a collaborative community partner helping with the Elementary programs. For the Middle School, these programs will focus on college and career readiness and dropout prevention strategies, as well as additional supports and programming as required under the grant (i.e.  reading, math, positive youth development, and parental engagement). Galion has brought the Crawford Success Center on board to assist with the Middle School programs.

The before and after-school programs will start October 4th and run through May 6th. Information on how parents can sign up for the programs will also be released by Galion City Schools in the forthcoming weeks.

Mid-Ohio ESC will oversee the grants by serving as the fiscal agent and assist in the facilitation of the grant activities to ensure compliance. Ron Williams, Galion City Schools Academic Supports and Student Opportunity Specialist and a 9 year veteran of the district, will oversee these programs. 

“I want to thank Mid-Ohio ESC Superintendent Kevin Kimmel and the team at Mid-Ohio for their work in securing these grant funds to continue the before and after-school programs in our district," Galion City Schools Superintendent Jennifer Allerding said. "Our partnership with MOESC, and these grant funds, allow us to offer and enhance positive learning opportunities for students in the Galion City Schools."

Amy Wood, Educational Programs Director at Mid-Ohio ESC, also expressed her excitement. “21st Century Community Learning Center programs help students meet state standards in reading and math; offer students a broad variety of youth development and career readiness activities that complement school-day programming and offer educational supports to the families of participating youth. Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center is pleased to partner with Galion City Schools to provide these programs for students.”

Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center’s Teaching and Learning team has grown substantially as the 2021/2022 school year starts, both in the number of districts served and new team members. The team now provides professional development, support, and customized service to seven districts. These districts have each contracted for one or more units of service, with a unit providing 36 days of support. Because of the high demand for the Teaching and Learning team’s services, Mid-Ohio has hired additional consultants in literacy and mathematics: Ally Schleichert, Jacqueline Robbeloth, and Lisa Walter. 

Ally Schleichert has nearly fifteen years of experience in math and science education and is a certified gifted intervention specialist. She has also provided support and service as a Special Education coordinator, with specialized knowledge in MTSS and professional development in special education.  Ally enjoys providing support for student-led and blended learning and helping educators analyze data to create action plans for school improvement.  

Jacqueline Robbeloth is an experienced literacy coach and has worked with teachers from Preschool to Grade 8 in a variety of settings. She provides expert guidance in helping districts identify literacy gaps and develop a plan to increase student achievement, providing professional development and coaching support to teachers and administrators.  “I enjoy literacy coaching because it gives me the opportunity to collaborate with and support teachers in the classroom,” said Robbeloth. “My goal is to provide opportunities to extend teachers’ learning, allowing for continual growth for each person.”
 
Lisa Walter has a passion for promoting reading and literacy and has spent her career working to support the learning needs of all students. She brings extensive literacy experience in grades K-7 both as a classroom teacher and as a coach.  As part of the Teaching and Learning team, she provides expert guidance and literacy support for classroom teachers, facilitates training and coaching sessions, and supports teachers with new curriculum and resources to drive student success. Lisa notes, “My passion is supporting my teaching peers and the students we serve.”  
 
As an additional support to districts, the Teaching and Learning team has created a new K – 12 mathematics book study for the text, Five Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions. Teachers who learn how to guide students through these practices have greater success in maintaining a high level of rigor and engagement for all students. The cost is $100 per participant for 15 CEUs or one hour of graduate credit from Ashland University (for an additional fee). Interested teachers may register by September 15, 2021 at www.moesc.net. For additional information, contact Leanna Ferreira at ferreira.leanna@moesc.net.